Grease-fitting tool



3y 12, m2. GU KM swwz GREASE FITTING TOOL Filed May 9, 1930 gyga mt am EZ QM @Womut I type fitting, however,

Patented July 12,1 932 umran STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN J. HCGUCKIN, OF PASBAIC, JERSEY, ASSIGNOR '10 BDTGK-MOILWLINE, INC

OF NEW YORK, K. Y A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK aamsE-mme moor.

application fled Kay 8,

My invention ielates to a; tool for manipulating ease-fittings such as are in common use un er the name of the Zerk or the Alemite fittings for automobiles and similar mecha- These fittings embody terminal elements through which grease may be injected past a spring controlled check valve toward a deslred point of lubrication. In use, these terminal elements not infrequently require repair or replacement, which makes it necessary to separate them from their seats in the lubricating channels. ting consists of a tube-like element, having a globular, closed outer end, a threaded inner end, a hexagonal shoulder above the threaded inner end, and a small tubular nipple inserted into the globular end of an angle between the radial and the axial lines of the tubular fitting, the bore of the nipple reaching the bore of the fitting. Grease is injected through the nipple into the bore of the fittin and past the check valve therein. The fitting is threaded into a seat in the channel to receive the grease from the fitting. In common practice, the hexagonal shoulder is grasped by some tool and rotated thereby to unscrew the fitting from its sea-t. Because of the positions in which such greasefittings are frequently placed, it would be de-- sirable to screw them inor out by means of a socket wrench. But as the nipple in the globular end of the fitting projects out toward one side, a closed socket wrench cannot be used and it is necessary to slot or break away the side of any such wrench in order to permit it to straddle the nipple element and to pass down'to engage the hexagonal shoulder of the fitting. Such a breaking away of the side of a socket wrench tends, of course, to weaken the wrench, so it is important to limit as much as possible the width of the channel or opening in the side of the wrench.

In the practical manufacture of the Zerk 4 the nipple is not inserted into the body of the fittin at a uniform -radial angle in reference to t e faces of the hexagonal shoulder. That is to say, for instance, in one fitting the nipple may be per- I pendicular to one of the hexagonal: faces;

The Zerk type of fitthe fitting at 1930. Serial No. 450,941.

and in another fitting the nipple may be at a more orless decided angle in one direction or another to one of the hexagonal faces, or to the angle formed by two of such faces. So that to make a hexagonal wrench of the general socket type which will fit such a Zerk' fitting, irrespective of the angle of the nipple in the fitting, it would benecessary to make such a wide slot or opening in the side of the wrench as to greatly weaken it, and to interfere with its proper grasp of the shoulder of the fitting.

Objects of my invention are to produce a socket wrench with a slotted side in which the slot is comparatively narrow and yet the wrench may be used on Zerk fittings in which the grease nipple is inserted at practically any radical angle; to produce such a wrench which will not onlyx operate with a'Zerk fitting, but will also dperate with an Alemite fitting, which consists essentially of a straight sided tubular element with two opposed projecting pins or lugs; to produce such a wrench which is simple in construction, eflicient in operation, neat in appearance, durable and economical in production; and to secure the other advantages of construction hereinafter explained and pointed out.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is an elevation of a tool embodying my improvements; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the samelooking down; Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the same looking up on Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a sectional view of one end of my tool taken as on the line 4, 4 of Fig. 1 looking to the right, and showing it applied to a Zerk fitting; Fig. 5 is a similar view of the opposite end of the tool taken as on the line 5, 5 of Fig. 1, reversed, and showing it applied to an Alemite fitting; Fig. 6 is a view on an enlarged 6, 6 of Fig. 5, looking up; Fig. 7 is a view on an enlar ed scale, turned 180 degrees of the wrench e ement shown in Fig. 3 applied to an Alemitefitting, which is shown as broken ed on substantially the same line 6, 6 as shown in Fig. 5; Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view on an enlarged scale taken as one the line 8, 8 of Fig. 4 looking up; Fig-9 is a similar view, but showing the nipple 9 moved approximately 30 degrees around the fitting, for inlar parts in all the figu stance, to the left as compared with Fig. 8; Figs. 10 and 11 show the nipple moved into successive positions still farther to the left; and Fig. 12 is an end view of a modification wherein interior grooves have been substi tuted for the slots through the wall of the tubular member. v

Similar reference numerals designate simires.

The body of the tool is formed substantially of a cylindrical element 1, the ends of which are tubular. One of them, ,as 2, having a longitudinal slot 3 on one side, the inner end of which is preferably bevelled as at 6, and the sides of which are slightly flaring outwardly. Interiorly the tubular end 2 is formed with nine angular notches 10, 10 lying outside of the 'slot 3, and equally spaced from each other at intervals of substantially 30 degrees, so that four or five of the corners of a hexa onal nut may be seated in such notches outside of the slot 3. Preferably these notches only extend into the bore of the tool far enough to firmly accommodate the hexagonal shoulder 7 of a Zerk fitting, the continuation of'the bore being round, to accommodate the globular end 8 of a Zerk fitting when shoved home until the nipple 91 lies against. the inclined back 6 of the s t 3.

. Preferably the slopes of the sides of the slot 3 are substantially parallel to the side of the nipple 9 when the Zerk fitting is inserted in the tool so that the nipple lies against one.

side or the other of the slot 3, so that the niple will lie smoothly and evenlyagainst the inclined side of the slot when brought against that side as illustrated in Fig. 10. This is important to prevent the notching or mutilating the nipple, which would occur if it was fprced against an outer or inner angle of the s 0t. I

The proportion of the width of the slot 3 to the bore of the tool and to the diameter of the nipple of a standard Zerk fitting is such that the fitting may be inserted in the bore of the tool in a plurality of positions, in each of which a plurality of angles of the fittings hexagonal shoulder will register with aplurality of notches 10, 10 in the bore of the tool. This is illustrated in the series of positions shown in 'Figs.'8, 9, 10 and 11; in which Fig. 8 shows the nipple'inserted in the plane of a radius bisecting one of the flat faces of the hexagonal shoulder; Fig. 9 shows the nipple moved approximately degrees to to the left in the fitting and the position of the hexagonal shoulder shifted one step in the notches 10, 10 as compared with Fig. 8; Fig. 10 shows the nipple moved still further to the left with the hexagonal shoulder still retaining its same position as shown in Fig. 9; Fig. 11 shows the nipple moved still further to the left in the fitting, the hexagonal shoulder still retaining its same positool. So that the nipple might be placed in any radial position within degrees around the longitudinal axis of the fitting, and yet the slots 3 would accommodate the nipple and the pluralities of angles of the hexagonal shoulder of the fitting would seat themselves properly in the notches in the bore of the tool and that the nipple may be placed at any axial angle in the fitting and still the fitting may be properly received by the tool.

Therefore, if the slot is sufficiently wide to allow the nipple to be moved in the fitting through an angle of 30 degrees, and this range of position is supplemented by a shift of one step in either direction by the hexa onal shoulder in the notches 10, 10 a selective range of adjustment, between the radial position of the nipple in the fitting and thehexagonal shoulder in the tool would be permissible up to a range of 60 degrees of rotation of the angular shoulder in the notches of the tool, thus rendering the tool applicable to a Zerk fitting irrespective of the axial angle at which the nipple is inserted in the fitting.

It is desirable, also, to have such a tool applicable to Alemite fittings. And I make my tool so applicable by providing an additional slot or recess 11 in the barrel of the tool adapted to accommodate one of the pins 12, 12 of an Alemite fitting, the other pin 12 falling in the slot 3'in the barrel of the tool,

the bore of the tool being sufiiciently small to prevent either of the pins 12, 12 escaping from its slot when the tool turned around the fitting.

The wrench element above described may be conveniently assembled with an extension 14 adapted to snugly fit an Alemite fitting and being provided with notches 15, 15 adapted to register with the plns 12, 12 of an Alemite fitting in four positions of the tool.

- The wrench element is provided with suitable means for turning it by hand, such as a crossbar 16 passed through and firmly held in the body of the tool. And it is convement to finish one end of such cross bar so as to form an extractor 17, which maybe driven into the bore of a broken ofi fitting to back it out of its seat, and to finish the other end with a tap 18 which may be used to clear the thread in the seat for the fitting.

In Fig. 12 I have shown a modification, wherein, instead of opening the slots 3 and 11 entirely through the wall of the tool their.

q ivalents are formed as grooves 19 and 20 r in the inner face of the wall of the tool, and

its outer face is continuous, thereby substanmodified without departing from the spirit of my invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In a tool for manipulating agrease fit ting of the Zerk type described, the combination of a tubular ody, adapted to receive the body of the fitting and having a longitudinal slot at one side extending through the wall of the body, a series of nine longitudinal notches, spaced substantially 30 de recs apart around the interior wall of the .ody to engage the hexagonal shoulder below the fitting body, the sides of the slot being bevelled outwardly to accommodate the nipple of the fitting so that a side of the nipple may bear evenly against a side of the slot.

2. In a tool for mani ulating a ease fitting of the Zerk type escribed, t e combination of a tubular body adapted to receive the body of the fitting and having a longitudinal slot at one side extending'through the wall of the body, a series of nine longitudinal notches, spaced substantially 30 degrees apart around the interior wall of the body to engage the hexagonal shoulder below the fitting body, the sides of the slot being bevelled outwardly to accommodate the nipple of the fitting so' that a side of the nipple may bear evenly against a side of the slot, and a notch-socket in the edge of the tool opposite to the slot.

sided shoulder below the body, the tool being provided interiorlyl with a series of notches adapted to furnis registering seats for a plurality of the angles between the faces on the fitting shoulder in any radial relation of the extended nipple thereto, the sides of the slot being bevelled outwardly to afford an even bearmg toeither side of the nipple that may be brought against it.

5. In a tool of the character described the combination of a tubular body having a lat.- eral opening therein and adapted to he slipped longitudinally over a Zerk grease fitting having a globular body and a six sided shoulder below the body and a ra-diall extended element projecting from the glo ular body further than the shoulder from the longitudinal axis of the fitting, the tool being provided interiorly with a series of notches ada ted to furnish registering seats for a plura ity of the angles between the faces on the fitting shoulder in any radial relation of the extended element thereto,

and the lateral opening being provided with.

outwardly bevelled sides complementary to the sides of the extended element when in registry therewith.

JOHN J. MCGUCKIN,

3. In a tool for manipulating a grease fith ting of the Zerk type described, the combination of a tubular ody, adapted to receive the body ofthe fitting and having a longitudinal slot at one side extending through the wall of the body, a series of nine lon itudinal notches, spaced substantiall 30 egrees apart around the interior wal of the body to engage the hexagonal shoulder below the fitting body, the sides of the slot being bevelled outwardly, the inner end of the slot being concaved and sloped backwardly and outwardly at substantially the same angle as and to accommodate the fitting nipple.

4. In a tool of the character described, the 

